Case Studies - Owners Corporations

One of the best ways to learn is from what others have done. Sharing your stories will help us all.

If you’ve taken any action that has made a difference in your own building, we’d love you to share it. Even if you think it is minor; if the results were not as good as you hoped; and even if things went horribly wrong – your experiences will benefit many.

You can use the following form to help us capture the information. It is quite comprehensive, but you only need to complete what you think is relevant.

Energy

Mondrian installed carbon monoxide (CO) sensors to control the carpark ventilation fans at a cost of $7,800 plus GST. Energy consumption decreased on average by 40 kWh per day (7%) and the payback period is two years.

A large11 year old strata building in Chatswood, Epica is reducing energy consumption by replacing common area fluorescent lights with LED's and installing sub-metering to monitor the energy usage of its air conditioning boiler.

In 2010 Freshwater's committee appointed a consultant to audit the complex's energy usage and develop a 5 year electricity reduction strategy. Staged implementation of the strategy is underway with large projected energy and cost savings. Individual unit owners were given to opportunity to purchase LED's for use in their unit at the bulk purchase price, assisting overall reduction.

A 17-unit over 55's complex replaced all its car park flourescent lights which ran 24 hours a day with LED lights with built in sensors to reduce its energy consumption and bills. The payback for the up front cost of the replacement was achieved in 1.5 years.

Awareness of minimum lighting standards and availability of new lighting technologies allowed Nexus to make simple, energy saving changes to their lighting in car parks and fire stairs. Changes included removing unnecessary fluoro tubes from fittings and installing new motion sensing LEDs in Car Parks and Fire Stairs.

With 2 towers,190 apartments and 600 residents, the Abode complex achieved a 25% reduction in total energy use through fire stair and car park lighting changes. Energy cost savings paid back the total cost of changes within 1.6 years.

An energy audit of the Presidio building showed that lighting of commom areas accounted for 41% of total common property energy use. Changes to fuorescent carpark lights and replacement of halogen with LED lights in foyer hallways were achieved at no cost due to NSW Energy Saving Certificates.

With lighting changes and installation of an automated swimming pool cover, Bayview Apartments in Port Melbourne, Victoria, more than halved their building's total energy consumption between 2007 and 2011.

A pool pump failure at Parkridge prompted its Committee to investigate historic energy consumption of the pump, leading to replacements that significantly reduced elecricity and gas consumption and reduced use of pool chemicals.

Power Factor Correction units are valuable equpment additions that store and provide ready "start-up" power requred by lifts, fans and pumps, delivering saving on elecricity bills. Nexus installed such a unit and enjoys ongoing savings as a result.

Having implemented sub-metering to get a handle on their buildings energy usage, Bauhous Apartments installed 5 energy controllers. Continued metering proved the reduction in energy usage achieved and the dollars saved.

Water can be considered another form of energy, especially considering the pumping of mains water to buildings and then up and down high-rise apartment buildings. Reducing water wastage by fixing leaks and replacing inefficient fittings saves a lost of energy and money, as demonstrated by Mirimar's experience.

A new resident at Iora Apartments in Neutral Bay obtained permission from its Owners Corporation to renew a neglected garden bed with low maintenance native plants indigenous to the area. The garden is thriving, provides valuable habitat for native fauna and gives pleasure to residents and visitors.

Signature Apartments' motivated Committee have applied the sentiment of "one man's trash is another's treasure" by creating a "Swap Room" in an unused common area, reducing waste going to landfill as a result.

Water can be considered another form of energy, especially considering the pumping of mains water to buildings and then up and down high-rise apartment buildings. Reducing water wastage by fixing leaks and replacing inefficient fittings saves a lost of energy and money, as demonstrated by Mirimar's experience.

A new resident at Iora Apartments in Neutral Bay obtained permission from its Owners Corporation to renew a neglected garden bed with low maintenance native plants indigenous to the area. The garden is thriving, provides valuable habitat for native fauna and gives pleasure to residents and visitors.